Plow-contact-spring-securing means



Dec. 6, 1 24- 1,519,888

W. B. UFFERT PLOW CONTACT SPRING SECURING MEANS- Filed April 1'7, 1924 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

'UNlTED STATES WALTER B. UFFERT, on NEW YORK, 1v. Y.

PLOW-CONTACT-SPRING-SECURING MEANS.

Application filed April L7, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALTER B. Urrnnr, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Yorl: city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plow- Contact-Spring-Securing Means; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to plows for electric conduit railways, and more particularly to the means by which the springs that carry the contact shoes are secured to the plow.

When a spring of the plow of a car en route is pulled or detached as frequently occurs, it is the practice to couple the car to another and pull or push it to the repair shop where .it is equipped with a new plow or its plow equipped with a new spring. This practice requires the taking of two cars out of service, and is followed for the reason that the construction of the spring securing means now employed will not permit a new spring to be secured to the plow through a man hole of the conduit in a sufficiently short time to prevent a serious interference with the running schedule of the cars.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of novel, simple and eflicient means through the medium of which the contact shoe carrying spring may be easily and quickly secured to the plow, whereby to permit a new spring to be substituted for a pulled or detached spring through the man-hole nearest the point where the old spring was pulled or detached and thus obviate the necessity for taking two cars out of service when a spring is pulled or detached.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the lower portion of a plow for electric conduit railways embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the lower portion of the plow,

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of the lower portion of the plow,

Serial No. 707,221.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of one end of the contact shoe carrying spring, and

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of one end of the yoke to which the spring is connected.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, l designates the lower portion of a plow for electric conduit railways. The plow is provided at opposite sides with yokes 2 secured thereto by bolts 3, bowed springs 4 secured at their ends to the legs 2 of the yokes 2, and contact shoes 5 secured to the springs 4 by bolts 6. As these parts are old and well known, a further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

In accordance with my invention, the ends of the springs 4 are provided with lugs 7 which extend laterally from the side edges of the springs, and with elongated openings 8 which extend longitudinally of the springs. The lugs 7 engage angular pins 9 secured to the legs 2 of the brackets 2, and the openings 8 receive straight pins 10 secured to said legs between the angular pins 9. The connection between the ends of the springs 4 and the pins 9 and 10 is such as to secure the springs to the plow 1 against accidental displacement under normal conditions. The angular pins 9 contact with the upper and lower edges of the ends of the springs 4, and the straight pin 10 contacts with the side walls of the openings 8, whereby to prevent the springs from having any vertical movement with respect to the plow. The outer portions 9 of the angular pins 9 extend longitudinally in an outward direct-ion from the inner portions 9 thereof, and overlie the outer sides of the lugs 7 to prevent the lateral displacement of the springs 4. The angular pins 9 are arranged in pairs. A pair of these pins is carried by each leg 2 of the yokes 2, and the pins of each pair are arranged in spaced relation. The straight pins 10 are each located between a pair of the angular pins 9, and they are offset inwardly with respect to the planes of and are longer than the inner portions 9 of the angular pins 9.

The. springs 4 are secured in applied position by first placing them against the sides of the plow 1 with their lugs 7 in contact with the outer portions 9 of the angular pins 9 and with their openings 8 in position to receive the straight pins 10. The springs 4 are then elongated, preferill) ably by the. application of an inwardly directed pressure to the contact shoes 5, until their lugs 7 are moved outwardly beyond the outer ends of the outer portions 9 of the angular pins 9 and the ends of the springs are positioned between the angular pins 9 with the straight pins 10 we tending through the openings 8. After this has been done, the springs 4 are allowed to return to their normally bowed condition to move the lugs 7 in rear of the outer portions 9 of the angular pins 9.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it should be apparent that the springs may be applied to the plow in a comparatively easy manner and in a comparatively short time, and that owing thereto a pulled or detached spring may be renewed without the necessity of pulling or pushing the car to the repair shop, and that this may be done through the manhole nearest the point where the spring was pulled or detached. It should also be understood that my spring securing means is simple and durable, and that it will hold the springs to the plow under normal conditions.

It should also be understood that the drawing is merely illustrative and does not pretend to give exact proportions. Furthermore, the said drawing is illustrative of a preferred construction, it being my expectation that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In combination, a plow provided with relatively spaced angular pins, and a contact shoe carrying spring provided with lugs engaging said pins.

2. In combination, a plow having pairs of relatively spaced angular pins, and a contact shoe carrying spring having its ends positioned between the pins of the respective pairs and provided with lugs engaging the pins.

In combination, a plow provided with pins, a contact shoe carrying spring provided with openings receiving said pins, and angular pins carried by the plow and engaging the sprm v 4. In combination,a plow provided with pins, a contact shoe carrying spring provided with elongated openings receiving said pins, said spring being also provided with lugs, and angular pins carried by the plow and engaging said lugs.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVAL'IER B. UFFERT. Witnesses ALBERT E. GEnsnNBAoH, ALEXANDER L. Sonar. 

